5 Tips for Making Tummy Time Fun for Your Baby

Circle of Moms member Kelly A., who is a first time mom, says that it feels like everyone, from her baby's pediatrician to her friends, is talking about the importance of "tummy time." While she knows she's supposed to have her infant spend time on his tummy, he gets fussy and she's not sure what to do, so she always winds up putting him back on this back. "My son doesn't seem to like it too much. He will last for about five minutes and then start crying. Anyone have any tricks that they use with their little ones?"

"Tummy time for my now 13-month-old was a nightmare," says Christina W. "I started him out when he was two weeks old and I would end up crying myself." And Jessi M. reports that she also had difficulty: "My son, who is now seven months, HATED tummy time. It was hard for me as a mom to watch my tiny infant cry and struggle to get off his belly." She adds that she dreaded going to the pediatrician to report on her failure to enforce tummy time.

Jess M. says "My pediatrician told me to start off at five minutes of tummy time before each feeding during the day. That way you get plenty of tummy time even if it is a short amount of time. Then gradually increase the time he's on his belly. Until they can lift their heads up and move a little better they get flustered with the tummy time. My son now can't stay off his belly, he loves it! I lay him on his back and he rolls right to his belly."

The trick to successful tummy time is making it fun, advise many Circle of Moms members. Try using an exercise ball or pillow and spread out her toys in front of her to make it more interesting for her, suggests Christina W. "I learned that if I would lay him down with his upper body on a boppy (pillow), he seemed to like it better, and it also helped to rub his back and play some music," she says. Kristin S. adds, "My suggestion is to use some colorful toys in front of them that they can focus on, or prop them up with a towel, or a boppy pillow, because babies are more content that way."

For a baby, the expression "Monkey see, monkey do" translates into "If mommy does it, I can too." Many Circle of Moms members suggest getting down onto your own belly during your baby's tummy time. Danielle H.'s son hated tummy time until "we started to give him tummy time with us on our tummies [while we] played with him."

5. Be Patient and Persistent

If your baby still resists mightily, take heart in the inevitability of change. Heidi O. reports that as a baby develops, he'll probably discover that the world is interesting from a belly vantage point, and his dislike of tummy time can fall away. She noticed one day that her son had learned to roll from his back to his stomach on his own. Now, she says, "he LOVES tummy time because he's the one that puts himself in that position. Every time I put him on his back, he flips to his tummy."